When Balance Wanes
by DarkenedMartyr
Summary: Alexander Leonsbane is seeing visions and hearing voices. There are cries for help, and a growing urge to help those suffering. When he is thrown into the realm of spirits and hollows, he discovers that the gods aren't gone, just hidden away. An oc following the Bleach story, expanding on themes that Kubo either didn't touch or didn't expand on. Bleach/Greek mythology. More inside
1. The Goddess Calls

Bit of spoilers here for anyone who isn't up to date with the manga.

There was a conversation in the manga between Kisuke Urahara and Aizen Sosuke that really captured my interest. As of now, though, Kubo hasn't elaborated on it, and going on how he's left a few mysteries already, I'm not sure whether he will expand upon it. The conversation is below.

_**Urahara Kisuke! I despise you! How could a man of your intellect sit idle? Why…Why do you allow yourself to be controlled by that THING?**_

_That thing…? You mean the "spirit king"…? …Oh. So you saw it. Without the existence of the soul king, soul society will split. The spirit king is the lynchpin. If the lynchpin is lost, then it will all easily crumble. That's the way the world is._

_**That's the logic of a loser! A winner must always think not how the world, but of how it should be! I-**_

And Aizen is cut off. It interested me that there was something behind the scenes, that Aizen was given a motivation beyond the spectrum of 'I want to control soul society/the gotei 13/everything/etc.' This, coupled with a character concept for Bleach that I've had floating in my head for a while is leading me to try and start another story up. Knowing how much Bleach stuff is out there, I'm not planning on a big success, but the idea is that it will run concurrent to the story, adding a bit of my own twist. You'll see that later on, though. Anyways, thanks for reading, hope you enjoy, review, yada yada, and apologies to anyone who read my other story and are waiting on that update (It's been a year, I'm so sorry! Passion comes in small bursts.) Also, an apology for the slow development. After finishing this first chapter, I realized that it's going to take awhile to develop this story to the point where it'll be recognizable as Bleach. For those who stick around, I'll be thankful.

* * *

_Alexander Leonsbane was in a void. The world around him was lifeless and cold, and there was no landmarks, no significant traits to identify where he was. He felt like he was surrounded by shadows, and they were suffocating him. He tried to move, and found himself bound, as if something was holding his limbs at bay. Slowly, the world around him started to morph into a small Greek temple under a night sky, with small fires lining the colonnade. Tearing his gaze from the scene unfolding before him, he looked down to see that he was indeed bound, black chains holding him taught, one on each of his limbs and another surrounding his torso. Looking back to the temple, he found that he was no longer alone in this place, but surrounded by hooded figures, murmuring quietly. Eventually, one came forward among the group, their back facing him, and the others fell into silence. When the figure spoke, her words flowed out in a language that he did not understand, but understanding flowed through him in a way that the words could never allow.  
_

_"Nemesis, winged one that tips the scales of life, _

_dark-eyed goddess, daughter of Justice, _

_you restrain the futile pride of mortals with your unyielding bridle and, _

_hating hurtful vanity, destroy black envy: below your wheel, always _

_moving but leaving no trace, the fortune of man turns. _

_Unseen, you come at once to defeat arrogance; _

_by your hand you gauge the span of life, and, frowning, _

_you scrutinize the thoughts of men, you always hold the balance._

_Be merciful, hallowed judge, winged Nemesis, life's force. _

_We honor you, Nemesis, immortal goddess, _

_victory incarnate with wings unfurled, faultless, _

_sharing the throne of Justice; you resent human vanity and banish_

_men to Tartarus below"_

_As the chant proceeded, the figures around him joined in, the fateful hymn echoing through the temple and his mind, as if the words were something familiar, something powerful. Around them, the torches dimmed and the smoke from them collected in a sphere, swirling with the words before an image formed, leaving Alexander jarred and breathless. He saw himself, both familiar and not, his shaggy white hair hanging roughly above his line of sight, but his demeanor was changed. The individual in the wisps of smoke was not the relaxed and watchful man he considered himself to be, as his dark grey eyes showed a determined look that was unbecoming of him. He was dressed in a white robe of some sort, as if he was in feudal japan, carrying a katana at his hip and staring down another figure in front of him. This figure was hidden from his eyes, as were those surrounding him, but he was an enemy, Alexander knew as much. Just as he wanted to analyze this image, this situation that was completely foreign to him, the chant began to die down and the smoke dissipated into the night air. As the leader spoke the last word and she lifted her bowed head, she turned and her gaze fell directly upon him, and reflected in her eyes, he saw a dark light against his own silhouette, a black aura surrounding him in contrast to the white robes he and the priests around him were garbed in. As his grey eyes came back into focus, the vision purged from his mind, the figure in front of him spoke._

"_Wake up, you chosen by the goddess. Your journey must start soon, you have no time to rest. She is waiting."_

"Alexander, do you have an answer?"

The voice jarred Alexander from his vivid dream, and he looked up in a rush to see what he was missing. The hall was dark, save for the light of a projector showing a very familiar temple on the wall in front of him, and Alexander found himself amidst a sea of students with one slightly irritated man staring at him. Further to his discontent, most of his peers around the lecture hall were glancing between him and the professor, not attempting to hide their grins or small chuckles.

"May I suggest that if you aren't getting enough sleep, you don't bother coming to class. This is an institution of higher learning, and you should be paying attention. Hell, this is usually a course people enjoy taking, so I don't usually have to chastise people in this environment. It's quite different in my Greek history courses, though," the professor added, looking to some of the laughing students who were now either nervously scratching their heads or giving some sign of humility. Turning his gaze back to the young man, the professor continued. "So, can you answer my question?"

"Well, maybe if I knew what it was," Alexander muttered under his breath, stifling a reflex to yawn.

"He's asking who Nemesis is," a voice next to him whispered, a sympathetic individual having likely been in this situation before. The name sent a chill down his spine as she repeated it.

_Maybe I heard him say it in my sleep?_ He thought, turning to the vision for guidance, as he had never heard the name before.

"Nemesis was…a god of balance?" he asked questioningly, the professor nodding his head, as if to tell him to continue. "A Greek goddess, who sought to quell human envy. She was the bane of pride and hubris, and was said to balance fortune for humanity. She was almost a physical manifestation of the idea of karma, in that she punished those who had too much pride, and gave fortune to those who had suffered. Even her name comes from the Greek word for giving what was due."

_When did I learn that? The hymn didn't mention half of that._

"Well well, color me impressed! It's good to know you're studying on your own, even if you're falling asleep at my lecture. Minus the sleeping, you could all stand to take a leaf out of Mr. Leonsbane's book. Nemesis is yet another example of a goddess who's following was small, yet who's role in Greek society was important." The professor turned back to his slides, and the lecture continued, Alexander trying to take notes while his mind was turning around the idea of what had just happened.

* * *

_That dream was insane. I've had some pretty crazy ones over the years, but that one tops anything else,_ he thought calmly, his eyes shifting from professor to notebook, running on automatic until the lecture's end. As he breathed a sigh of relief, his last class before the weekend finished, and while stowing his things away in his bag, he felt a tap on his shoulder. As he turned, he faced a girl giving him a shy smile, and when she spoke he realized that she was the one who had helped him earlier. She stood around five foot three, wearing black, narrow glasses and had a pale, petite complexion, which was highlighted by the contrast of her dark, long hair that sat neatly on her shoulders. Alexander was astounded for two reasons; first, she was a perfect model for the 'shy college girl' stereotype, but also while he was sure he had never seen her, in lecture or otherwise, he felt like he wanted to get to know her, which didn't happen often.

"You pulled that off pretty well. I'm actually a bit surprised. For a guy who sleeps in mythology class, you sure knew your stuff," she said, stifling a quick laugh with the back of her hand. "You know, people usually tell me that I have a weird name, but you've definitely got a look to match yours."

Alexander let out a sigh, running a hand through his shaggy mop of hair, which quickly fell back into place with his bangs skirting slightly over his eyes, before scratching the back of his head. "Yeah, I get that a lot. Can't fight genetics though, and the name is an old family heirloom, I've been told. Still, thanks for the help earlier, I owe ya. Are you new in class? I don't remember seeing you before."

"Well, I could tell you that I've sat behind you all semester and make you feel bad, but you're right, I'm new," she said, the pair walking out of the lecture hall and heading for the building's exit. "I guess you could say I have a few connections, so I managed to make up tests I missed and get in at the last minute."

"Sounds like a lot of work. Any reason you wanted to come in for the spring? Could've just waited until the fall," Alexander said, watching the girl rub her arm nervously.

"Yeah, but I figured I needed to get started. If I kept waiting, I might not get around to it, you know? I kind of lack motivation in some areas."

Shrugging, Alexander moved to open the door for her, the duo stepping out into the crisp spring air. They walked in silence for a time before the girl once again broke the silence.

"I…don't really know anyone here yet, so would you be free to do something this weekend?" Pausing in his stride, Alexander had to stare at her for a moment. He wasn't anti-social by any means, but in the semester and a half that he'd been here, he hadn't gotten to know many people well. He'd kept himself busy during the week, but the weekends were his time to slouch. He was so stunned, that his mouth acted before his brain could process the request, spewing the first thought that came to mind.

"I don't even know your name!" He immediately felt his face drop, but her reaction was a lot less negative, as she burst into laughter, clutching her stomach.

"Your face…you looked so scared…like a little kid who got caught doing something wrong," she said during breaths, her laughter slowly subsiding before she regained her composure, stretching out her hand. "Lily Nox." Taking a moment to recover, he shook her hand lightly.

"Sorry. I'm just not used to people approaching me wanting to be social. I don't exactly look like a social person, do I?" he said, giving a laugh. "I've been told that my appearance is even intimidating."

"I don't know, you looked more like a kitten than a lion just then," Lily replied, grinning as the pair walked on, destination unknown. "So, are you good to hang? I think I might even want to copy your notes after today's episode in class."

"Um, sure, though I'm not really promising quality on those," he replied, laughing a bit nervously. "Notes have never been my strong point. Hell, I don't know how I pulled it off today in class."

"You mean you'd never heard of her? That's even more impressive. Can you read minds or something? The professor looked somewhat impressed, considering how you were brought into the situation."

"Honest, I don't even remember hearing the name before. Maybe I read it somewhere at some point, but I was going on a gamble when I gave him an answer." The girl before him looked skeptical, but shrugged.

"I'll just add 'subconscious mind reading' to your list of interesting traits," she said, pausing in her stride before one of the old brick buildings on campus. She pulled a pen and a piece of paper out of her bag, jaunting down her number before handing it to him. "Get ahold of me sometime this weekend, alright? If not, I'm going to chew you out when I see you in class again." Giving him another light smile, she walked into the building and was gone. If not for the solid proof he now held in his hand, he would've told himself that she was a figment of his imagination. Pocketing the paper, he continued on his way, pulling out a pack of cigarettes, his mind churning with the strangeness of the day.


	2. Voices

Unfortunately, sleep didn't come easily to him that night. When he lay down to bed in the early hours of the morning, he felt uneasy, as if something was watching him. When he would think that he was just about to fall into some sort of slumber, he heard voices, whispers from things he couldn't see. They weren't the eerie chants of priests, they were they soft voices, but they seemed to be crying out in torment. After tossing and turning for several hours, his mind finally allowed him solace for a time, and when he woke, the sun was up. Attempting to close his eyes again, he found his body rejecting sleep once again, and after several failed attempts to tell his body 'no, sunshine does not mean you have to get up,' he rose from the sheets like an irritable phantom stretching and grumbling with minimal effort. Walking to the small kitchenette of his compact apartment, he reached for the coffee maker before pausing, sighing and returning to his bed, reaching for his phone. Punching in a message, he hit send and lay back down.

"_Hey, it's Alex. Do you drink coffee?"_

He had hoped that she might be a late riser, but to his surprise, his phone buzzed with reply almost instantly.

"_Yep. Where we meeting?"_

With details sent, Alexander made to get himself presentable. Within half an hour, he was standing outside of a small coffee shop which he had visited infrequently, wearing black jeans and a bland shirt, satchel hanging at his side, a cigarette in his mouth, leaning against a wall waiting for his guest.

"I'm guessing that if I gave you the lecture on how smoking is bad for you, you'd just tune it out, but know that I'm putting this down as a negative," a voice said from his right, breaking him from his vacant mind to see his counterpart. She had shown up with about the same amount of consideration for her wardrobe, wearing a hoodie with the university's logo, jeans, and flip flops.

"Well, as far as I know, I'm still ahead of the game, right?" he asked, grinning lightly and flicking the cigarette away before stifling a yawn.

"Didn't sleep well, huh?" Lily said, the pair entering the busy store, lining up to order.

"That obvious, huh?" Alexander had seen the bags under his eyes in the mirror before he left, but he had hoped that the signs might fade away in the time between. "Yeah, pretty rough sleep. I already stay up pretty late, but last night I might've gotten three hours. Four tops."

"Should go to bed earlier then. One iced mocha, please," she said, going from conversation to another with fluidity. "Go ahead, it's on me this morning."

"Usually it's the other way around…just a regular black coffee." Stepping to the side, they watched their orders being made before stepping back out into the cool spring air. "So, sit out here or walk around?" When his companion shrugged her shoulders, he made to move; he liked to keep moving.

"So, tell me about yourself," the small girl said, taking a sip of her icy beverage through a straw. "Who is Alexander Leonsbane?"

"You know, you could just call me Alex," he said, giving a weak smirk, indulging himself with the caffeine at his fingertips. Taking a second to formulate his thoughts, he gave her the short version. "Well, I'm a first year student. Major undecided. Living on scholarships and loans, the college dream. I smoke, drink occasionally, play some video games and write a bit in my spare time. I'm eighteen, my favorite colors are black, white, and grey, favorite drink is limeade…stop me whenever you get bored," he said, having run through his list of basics.

"Oh no, go on. I'm waiting for whenever you get to the 'boxers or briefs' preference," she said, giving a wry grin.

"Jeez, you bought my coffee, but at least take me out to dinner first," he replied, the pair laughing as they found their way into a park. After finding a bench, the two sat down, facing a playground where a few children were playing. "So, your turn. Who are you, Ms. Nox?"

"Well, first year, undecided. I kind of slacked in high school, so I'm relying on…family funds right now. But I'm hoping after this semester I'll be getting some scholarships," she said, scratching the back of her head. "That's about it for things that I can tell you now. We've all got secrets. Sure you have a few you wouldn't talk to me about." Alexander sighed and nodded, taking a sip of his coffee and turning to face the playground, several children still playing on it, laughter abundant among them.

"Wouldn't it be nice if their generation could grow up and enjoy the world, without any overwhelming sorrow shadowing their past?" The words had been spoken as they were thought, and they weren't foreign to him. He wished the best for children, but the way the world was changing, there were times when he figured that life would soon hand them their sorrow, and they would change like everyone else.

"You can see them?" Her voice sounded perplexed, even stunned. Alexander turned to her with a smirk.

"What, did you think I was blind or something? Grey eyes don't mean that you've lost your sight-"

"No, that's not it. It's just that…they're ghosts, aren't they? I mean, I haven't met someone else who could see them. I know that's not something you usually talk about, but if I had known earlier-"

"Wait a second now. You're trying to tell me that those kids are ghosts? Come on, that's not a nice thing to say."

"I'm serious! Can't you see the chains? I heard the news this morning, but I didn't imagine I'd see them here. It must've been so traumatic that they're bound to this world." She sounded generally sincere, like she believed the words that were coming out of her mouth. Standing from the bench, Alexander turned to face her, arms crossed.

"Alright, I think you've had a bit too much coffee. That, or you're screwing with me. Either way, there's a quick way to solve this," he said, walking towards the playground in double time. He had thought this girl was generally interesting, but she was either crazy or liked fucking with people. He had met that kind of person before, but he had been hopeful that she was someone normal. When he came to the edge of the playground, he let out a whistle, causing the children to turn towards him, and the sight sent him off his feet.

All three children looked to be about the same age, no older than eight, and all three had chains protruding from their chests. But the most startling feature was that all three children had large blood splotches on their chests that looked like stab wounds. Left speechless, Alexander tried to say something, muttering several incomplete sentences with wide eyes before his words finally formed cohesion.

"Oh god, what happened to them?" he asked the air, the children still looked at him quizzically.

"There…was a triple homicide last night," a voice spoke softly from behind him. When he looked back to Lily, he found her eyes looking away from him at the ground, holding on to her arm as if to comfort herself. "Three children were killed while they were staying at one of their houses. Apparently the father showed up drunk demanding to see his son…" Alexander felt his eyes begin to burn, and he turned back to the three children, who had gone back to playing. Suddenly, it clicked.

"Oh god…last night, those voices…"he said softly, wrapping his arms around himself, watching the children laughing and playing as if nothing was wrong. Several minutes passed with the pair in silence before Alexander found the nerve to speak.

"What's going to happen to them now?" The figure behind him shifted uncomfortably before walking forward and sitting next to him in the grass.

"The people in black will come and release them. That's all we can do at this point." Alexander's body tightened, but he controlled the anger. He felt helpless, he felt guilty, but most importantly he felt just like a child, unable to understand the world around him, but too prideful to ask. He felt a hand rest gently on his shoulder and after a shiver of surprise, his body relaxed.

"I…this is the first time I've seen this," he managed to get out. "And last night, when I was trying to sleep, I heard voices screaming." Looking up from the ground, he turned to the near stranger before him. "Is that normal? Is it going to keep happening?" While she had laughed at his childlike appearance just the day before, Lily found herself sympathetic now.

"No, I've never heard them like that. But that's expected. It's just…" the girl let out a slow breath, shaking her head. "There's a lot to tell, and I'm not sure how to do it yet. I'll answer any questions you've got, but I don't know how to say some of the things that need to be said. Just know that whatever ends up happening from here on out, I'm going to be here for you." The way she spoke soothed him, but he found himself picking apart her words. Something was strange, but it wasn't the time to deal with that. Right now, he knew what he should be doing.

"Hey, kids. Come here for a second," he called out, one again gaining the children's attention. Pausing at first, they slowly approached the pair, one boy shyly rubbing his arm. "You doing alright?" Alexander asked, trying to throw on a smile for the trio.

"My mom told me not to talk to strangers…" one of the boys said, frowning.

"Well then, let me introduce myself. My name's Alex. Can you tell me your names?"

The children looked among each other before smiling.

"I'm Anna, and these two are Mikey and Will," the girl of the group said, pointing out each of the boys with their name.

_They aren't affected in the slightest…kids are amazing,_ Alexander thought, giving a smile.

"Well guys, I heard you three might be waiting here for a while. How about I stick around to make sure you guys are alright until then?" The children nodded and headed back to the playground. Lily, who had been watching silently, gave a sigh.

"Sometimes it takes them awhile to come," she said calmly. "Could be a week 'til they get here. Could be a month." Alexander sighed, taking out a cigarette and lighting it. He had considered it to be a bad influence for the kids, but they were dead; it couldn't hurt.

"Well, I want to wait awhile, at least until sundown. They don't seem to get what happened, it might come as a shock later. Someone will have to explain it to them…maybe by the time that situation comes around, I'll know what I'm talking about." Blowing out a wisp of smoke, he turned to Lily, who still looked uncomfortable. "So, explain the process of death." Lily laughed and shook her head lightly.

"That's a big request…but alright, I'll give it a go," she said, taking a moment to plan out the words. "When a person dies, their soul is released from their body. Usually, the soul goes on to the afterlife automatically, but if somebody is bound here, to Earth, by an obligation or regret, their soul stays. These souls that stay here are usually tied to some place, person, or thing, until one of the people in black releases them…or they become one of _them_." She shivered slightly at the mention of what they could become, but tried to stay on task. "I don't know anything after that. That's all I've figured out so far. Not like I've met anyone who could teach me anything about it. I've been figuring it out on my own."

"Fair enough…What do they turn into if they wait too long?"

"They…turn into monsters. That's the best way to describe them. They try and eat the other spirits that are bound here. I ran into one once…it was terrifying." Wrapping her arms around herself, Lily closed her eyes and lowered her head. She flinched slightly when Alexander attempted to comfort her, like she had before, and soon she eased up, her muscles relaxing and her arms returning to her side. "Let's just say you don't want to run into them. Those people in black also take care of the bad ghosts. That's how I got out of it." Giving her shoulder one last squeeze, Alexander removed his hand and dashed the ashes off his cigarette.

"How long have you been able to see them?"

"As long as I can remember, I've been able to see them. It was a problem when I was younger, but my mom said she had the same issue. When you're young, you can't grasp the concept that other people can't see them. Can't imagine what it's like for you, just starting out."

"I feel helpless," Alexander said quietly, putting out his cigarette before falling back into the grass. "I can get over the sight of people being injured. I can get over seeing ghosts. But if I can hear when people die, I'm going to snap." Lily stayed silent, gripping her arm again, her eyes avoiding contact.

"How long are you going to need before you can start talking, then? A day? Week? Just give me a timespan and I'll give it to you. But I need something to go off of. If I get a goal, I can put up with it. Sound fair?"

"I..don't know. Give me a bit more time. I had a whole plan for this, to introduce you to things over time…but that doesn't seem to be what's going to happen." Looking at him, she sighed, shaking her head. "I'm glad that it was someone like you, though…I was afraid that I wouldn't be able to get along with you. I'm glad I was wrong, and I hope you don't think that I was trying to manipulate you. I'm sorry."

"well…" Alexander started, smiling lightly, "You aren't very good at it if you are. Only took you a day to start to come clean. So I'll give you the benefit of the doubt. You can have a week. Fair?"

"Fair enough," she said, giving a sigh. The two lay down in silence for a time, staring up at the sky, their minds both in different and equally far places. As the minutes added up to hours, the children's laughter in the background, Lily stood, brushing herself off.  
"I've gotta go think about this…I'll see you at lecture, alright?"

"Right. Don't strain yourself too much. After this, I'm pretty sure that nothing is going to shock me."

"I hope you're right, Alex…take care," she said, walking away from him, leaving him alone, sitting in the grass and watching the children, people and hours passing away as the sun journeyed across the sky.


	3. Comfort and Passing

Three chapters in a couple of days...that's unexpected. Still, at least it's moving. Thanks to anyone who's reading. Good news is, we finally have a shinigami in this one!

* * *

Alexander's time in the park was uneventful well past sundown. The children played as if nothing was wrong, unaffected by hunger or fatigue. He took the time to try and understand the phenomenon, as well as how it was affecting the children. As the day progressed, more families joined him in the park, and seeing the three dead children try to interact with their peers was heartbreaking. More than once, he considered going over and attempting to explain to them, but when he had finally mustered the motivation to do so, they had moved on and gone about playing with just the three of them. As the sun came down, families started to leave, and eventually it was just as it had been when he and Lily had just arrived, and the children were starting to show signs of worry. Alexander sighed and lay back in the grass, staring up at the orange sky.

_I should've spent more time thinking of how to explain this to them…_ he thought, regretting the time he'd spent pondering their very existence.

"Hey, Alex?" a voice chimed, and he sat up to come face to face with the three children.

"What's up, kiddo?"

"Is…something wrong with us?" Anna asked, frowning, the other two children looking on sadly. "The other kids weren't talking to us when we asked them to play…nobody even looked at us." Alexander felt his eyes start to burn again, but he pushed the tears aside in an attempt to appear stronger. These children didn't need someone weak, they needed a pillar of support.

"Well, no…it's…kinda hard to explain. Why don't you take a seat," he said, gesturing to the grass next to him. When the three had taken a seat, he rubbed at his eyes quickly before turning back to them, trying to put on a face that wouldn't seem intimidating.

"Do any of you remember how you got here? Or…last night?" The three children remained silent, with Will looking down, picking at a few strands of grass. "We don't have to talk about it…but I've got an idea of what happened. It may have just seemed like a bad dream, but it was real…and it wasn't any of fault of yours." Taking a moment to collect himself, he gave a sigh and looked away from the children, gripping the grass around him with both of his fists. "I think…you must've all been really scared and confused…so I think you all came here, because it was somewhere you liked to be. Where you felt safe. Am I right?" Looking back, he found all three of the children shaking, tears starting to flow down their face. Alexander's cool persona was broken, and he reached out to try and pull the nearest child into a hug, his arms simply phasing through their incorporeal forms. That was a breaking point for him, and tears started to flow down his own face, turning away and trying to rub away the tears before the children could see them.

"Alex…What's wrong with us? And what are these?" The boy named Mikey asked, holding up the chain on his own chest.

"I…I'm not sure. I honestly don't know a whole lot about this," Alexander confessed, wiping the water away from his eyes before turning back to face him. "But I know enough. Someone's going to come and help you. I promise to stay with you guys until then. I don't know how long it'll be, but I'll be here, okay?" The children nodded though they were still confused, still crying. As the sky began to get dark, Alexander sighed, coming to his feet.

"Well guys, it's your choice. We can either wait here, or we can go somewhere else that you want to go. It's up to you…I think they'll be able to find us anywhere we go." All three were quiet, until Will spoke up.

"Can I go see my mom?" The other two also expressed the idea of wanting to see their families, and Alexander couldn't argue.

"If you know the way, I'll go with you. If…if you've got anything you want to say to them, I can tell them. Sound good?" While it wasn't something that could make them happy, but they looked a bit better. The trio rose to their feet, and the group made their way out of the park, the street lights just starting to come to life in the darkness. With ten minutes of walking, the children stopped in front of a two story house. The house was dark save for two rooms, light flowing from one of the windows upstairs, as well as a larger room on the ground floor.

"This is my house…" Will said quietly, staring at the upstairs light. His face was fighting between a forced calm and the overwhelming sorrow of his situation. Alexander kneeled down, meeting the boy's eyes.

"What do you want to do?"

"I…I want to go see her. I wanna make sure she's okay," the boy said, more conviction in his voice than Alexander had heard that day.

"Then go on. We'll wait for you here. If you need my help later, I'll be here," Alexander said, giving a weak smile, making to ruffle the boy's hair. Though his action had no effect, the boy must've sensed his intent and he smiled, laughing a bit, floating from the ground to the window before disappearing into the house. Giving a sigh of relief, Alexander reached into his pocket and pulled out a cigarette, leaning against one of the trees in the front yard.

"That smells yucky," Mikey commented, which made Alexander smirk.

"It is. Don't ever try it," he answered, though he wasn't sure it mattered at this point. A sound from the house caused him to look up. Emerging from the house was an older gentleman, who looked at him oddly before approaching.

"Do you guys know who this is?"

"I think it's Will's grandpa," Anna said, squinting in the dark. "Yeah, that's grandpa Bill. He's really nice. But he has those smelly sticks too." The girl smiled as the old man approached, his grey hair tied back into a pony tail, his appearance quite ragged, heavy bags under his eyes.

"Mind if I ask what you're doing out here, stranger?" the man asked, walking up and lighting up a cigarette for himself. "If you're here from the press, I'd ask that you leave my daughter alone. She isn't ready to talk to anyone yet, she's still mourning." Alexander sighed, blowing out smoke.

"I'm not a reporter…and I'm sorry for your loss. More than you could understand. But if I told you why I was actually here, I doubt you'd believe me." The man looked at him skeptically, stopping on the sidewalk.

"You don't look like you're lying. Go ahead and try me." Alexander looked down and closed his eyes.

"Believe in ghosts?"

"Not particularly," the older gentleman replied.

"Neither did I, until today. This morning, I ran into three kids playing at the playground just down the street." The older man across from him appeared to tense at this, though whether it was in anger or shock, Alexander wasn't sure. "They said that their parents always came for them when it was time to come home. When I found out I wasn't seeing regular kids, I decided to stay…someone who was with me had heard the news." Though the children were watching him, he couldn't help clutching both of his arms defensively. "I've never had to deal with this before, but I couldn't just leave them…Will said he wanted to see his mom, and the other kids wanted to see their parents…He's up there now. As soon as he's done, I'm going to take them to see their parents," he said, gesturing to the two next to him, who were looking between him and the older man. Alexander finally lifted his head to meet the man's eyes. "I can't help them move on. I don't know how. But I'm trying to give them a bit of comfort. That's all. I don't want any trouble, I swear."

The older man stared at him with a strong stare, looking him up and down, unsure whether to believe him or not. When the young man lifted his brow, he tried to read his eyes, and he didn't see any sort of deception. Eventually, skepticism was defeated by hope, and the man let out a breath of smoke.

"I don't know if you're telling the truth. You might just be a nutcase…but I'd like to wait with you, until Will comes back. I'd like to…to say goodbye." Alexander nodded, his eyes sullen.

"Thanks for giving me the benefit of the doubt."

The four of them, two living, two dead, stood in silence for a few minutes. When Will spirited out from the house, his face was stained with tears, but he was smiling lightly. Alexander watched him float down, the boy focusing on his grandfather for a time before turning back to Alexander.

"She was sleeping, but I think she could hear me. She just kept saying she was sorry, and that she loved me, though," the boy said, giving a light laugh, though his eyes were watering as he said it.

"I'm glad…it helped," Alexander said, startling the other man who was standing there. Turning to the older man, he made a gesture to where Will was. "He's back. Said that his mother was sleeping, but he thinks that she could hear him. If you want me to be a middleman, I'd be happy to." The older man looked at the space where Alexander had gestured, kneeling down slowly and facing the boy, opening his arms, smiling before closing his eyes, lowering his head slightly. Will was shocked, but soon couldn't help the tears rolling down his face, approaching the old man and leaning his forehead against his grandfather's, sobbing quietly. As if by reflex, his grandfather closed his arms around him. The other two children watched quietly, Anna's lips quivering.

"Will…" the old man spoke slowly, the smile still on his face. "Yeah, I can tell you're here. I can feel you." His emotions finally giving way, tears started to flow, and his voice cracked. "I'm so sorry. I should've been here. I didn't know he would be coming around. Please, forgive me…and don't stay too long. Don't be afraid of moving on, it's going to be a better place, I promise." Alexander watched patiently, emotionally exhausted, while the boy in front of him was sobbing.

"I will, grandpa. I love you," the boy choked out.

"I love you too," the old man said, whether through hearing the boy or intuition, releasing his hold on the boy before standing, looking at Alexander. "I don't envy you…but thank you." Holding out his hand to him, Alexander took it firmly.

"Just glad I could help. Hopefully his mother feels some relief as well." The old man nodded, looking back to the house.

"I'm gonna head back in. If it isn't too much trouble, I'd like you to stop by again when he's passed," he said to Alexander, before turning to the open space beside him. "You take care of yourself, kids. All of you. Anna and Mikey too," the man said, surprising the two children who had been silent to this point. Turning, he walked back to the house, and Alexander watched until he was back in the building. Giving a sigh, Alexander turned to Anna and Mikey.

"Alright you two. Who lives closer?"

The next stop was less eventful. It turned out that the pair were brother and sister, Mikey being younger by a year, and the household had been asleep, and they had proceeded to speak to their parents and older brother, while Will and Alexander waited outside. The shock and emotion of the day, coupled with his lack of sleep the night before, was wearing Alexander down, and even the boy looked far more exhausted than he had been before. Alexander tried to retain his energy when speaking to him, as he knew the boy was suffering more than himself, the blood stain still obvious on the young boy's shirt. The two had sat down underneath a large oak tree in the family's front yard, waiting for the two siblings to finish with their closure, and Alexander was finding it hard to stay awake.

Alexander was roused from his drowsy state by a light sound from the right. Looking over, bags hanging heavily under his eyes, Alexander examined the strange new figure, his face shadowed by the street light at his back, before sighing, standing up and brushing himself off before looking back to the figure, the young boy at his side standing behind him, peeking out from behind him to watch the figure.

"You must be one of the people in black," he said, scratching the back of his head, eying the man's katana and black uniform. "Can you help them?" The shadowy figure stepped forward, revealing a face that might've scared the children more than reassured them. The rough black hair was pointing out in different places, showing a lack of work on his part. On one cheek, a tattoo of the number "69" in black print rested, and above that ran another tattoo that looked like a grey bar, running from the side of his face to just past his nose. The side of his face that held no tattoos seemed to be scarred, with three lines tracing the entire length of his face. His black robes were rolled up to his shoulders, and it seemed that he was wearing some sort of black choker and arm bands. Alexander honestly thought that he looked like a real punk, but he was trying to withhold judgment. When the man did speak, his words were calm and thoughtful.

"Yeah. I'm here to guide them to the other side." Alexander nodded, turning to look back at the child behind him.

"Why don't you go and see if Mikey and Anna are ready to go?" Will nodded at his request, ascending to the room he had seen his friends go into. When he was alone with the stranger, Alexander brought out his cigarettes, pulling out two and offering one to the dark figure.

"So what do I call you?" The man looked at the cigarette and shook his head, to which Alexander put the cigarette back in its package.

"Shuhei. Hisagi Shuhei. And you?"

"Alexander Leonsbane," he replied, blowing out a wisp of smoke. He had plenty of questions to ask, but it could wait. As soon as the kids were released, he could talk. Within a few minutes, all three children came from the house, not trusting the new figure in front of them, Anna and Mikey looking reluctant to leave their home.

"Did you get through to them?" he asked the two siblings, to which they nodded.

"They looked a lot happier when we left…I just wanted to stay a bit longer. I'm sorry," Anna said, looking down.

"I don't blame you…but it's time to go. Hisagi here is going to help you move on," he said, kneeling down. "I'm sorry I couldn't do more for you guys…but at least we didn't have to wait long."

"Are we gonna get to see you again?" Will asked. Unsure himself, Alexander looked to the man in the black robe, who shrugged.

"It's completely possible. You're all going to the same place." Looking back to the kids, Alexander gave a weak smile.

"Hear that? When I get there, I'll look for you. Just try and stay together, and I'll find you all eventually. Alright?" The children smiled lightly, nodding before they turned to Hisagi.

"Alright kids, come here," Hisagi said, drawing his sword. Kneeling down in front of the three, he brought the hilt forward, touching the end to each of the children's heads, all three children burst into balls of light, floating up into the night sky before disappearing. Alexander let out a sigh of relief, falling back into the grass, his eyes closed.

"Thank you. I honestly wasn't sure how long I could handle knowing that those kids were helpless, and I couldn't do anything about it," he said, looking to the man sheathing his sword.

"Indeed. Now it's just a matter of what to do with you," the man said, turning to face him. "After all, if you can see spirits and shinigami, then some sort of action needs to be taken."


End file.
